OCZ Dominator HSF Review - Dominator - Page 2

OCZ has been playing with aluminum in a copper world. Their new Dominator HSF is designed for the "Budget-Conscious" buyer who wants some cooling for their mighty Thunderbirds. But can they succeed with an aluminum sink when everyone else is using copper? Come join Mike as he delves into this question and let's you know just what is hot about the Dominator... or what's not.

We have seen a similar heatsink to this on the Gladiator, but that one was copper. When I first saw the fins, I noticed that they appeared to have been coated with something. After some research and contacts with the OCZ Tech folks, I learned that it is their new design. It is called Textured Fin Technology and is a special way to cut the fins from the aluminum. What it does is to give the fins a little more surface area so that it can better dissipate the heat from the processor. We'll see later how well this new technology works.

Other than this, it is very much the same as the Gladiator. It features a solid base, thin fins that go across the unit, and a split down the center to accommodate the clipping mechanism. It also has an aluminum housing that surrounds the fins. It has a duel role of protecting the fins from damage, and it also works as a means to attach the fan without having to run large screws down through the fins.

The Base

Don't you just love it when someone else does your work for you? Though my camera skills are still in training, it is easy to see that the base of this heatsink is polished to a mirror finish. There are absolutely no ridges or mars to be found, so you can expect a very nice fit to the core of your processor. Now THIS is what is meant by "lapping".

Another very nice change of pace was the omission of the thermal tape. Since it is usually of dubious quality, it's nice to not have to remove it for once. It also keeps you from accidentally scratching the bottom of the sink when you have to remove it. The nice mirror finish is intact and ready for some loving attention as we get ready to install it.

The Fan

In case you have been wondering about the monstrosity that resides on top of this sink, it is a huge Delta unit. It measures in at a whopping 60mm x 60mm x 38mm, spins at a fast 7,000 RPM, has an airflow rating of 43-CFM and emits a very loud 50.5dBA of sound output.

Now that we have those numbers out of the way, let me tell you a bit about this fan. Not only is it huge, it is a good bit louder than even the Black Label Delta 38-CFM fans that are so popular. While I can still maintain a level of sanity with it running, there are some who will probably want to throw it right out the window. If you don't want the loud whine of a fast moving fan like this, then you might want to check out the YS Tech fan option on the OCZ site.

The fan also came with a grill attached. This seemingly unimportant little piece of metal is a huge benefit for those with clumsy fingers. But in my case, I like to have the grill in place so that stray wires don't get sucked into the very powerful fan. There's nothing quite like the feeling of your gut wrenching after you've just heard the grind of some wiring getting pulled into your fan.

The Clip

The clipping mechanism on the Dominator is one of the easiest that I have ever installed. The back of the clip easily went down far enough to attach to the rear lug with no problems. The pressure necessary to mount the front stud was not too much at all, and was easily accomplished with a little force of the index finger. I was concerned at first that it might not be enough pressure to the core, but after checking it out, the heatsink was secure on the socket and didn't move around.